Saturday, April 12, 2008

Sibling Rivalry on Deafread.com *smile*


My kids have been driving me crazy today and just hearing them bicker back and forth brought the comments left on the Blog Comments Reveal Misconceptions with Regard to Cochlear Implants post to mind. Just like my kids are siblings, deaf individuals are siblings. The bond between my kids created by living their tragic lives as MY kids *smile* is what defines their connection as "siblings," just as Deafness creates a common bond between a child like my son with a ci and an individual without a hearing aid or ci who uses ASL. That doesn't mean that there is always harmony in the household, actually there is always war. (at least in my crazy house)But, there are shared experiences that make that bond unbreakable.
...Why didn't you also focus on how the description of the plot pointing out that getting a CI means leading a normal life? Oh so we all Deafies without CIs are not normal?
...It is frustrating to see comments where someone says the CI doesn't work. They know someone that it didn't work for, so of course, it is totally bad and totally ineffective. Absolutely NOT TRUE. If it doesn't work for someone. Then it doesn't work for that person.
...Indeed, there is a lot of misconception about the cochlear implants by some Deaf people. On the other hand, many misconceptions about ASL and Deaf Community held by the parents of c.i. kids are also exhibited.
...Remember the device is just like a car that can run good for 10 to 20 years, yeah right! Will we get some results?? I think NOT.
You think some CI people can be successfully..SURE. I am proud of them. Deaf people without CI CAN be successfully, too!
...But it is not fair to mislead new parents against implants any more than it is fair to mislead them in favor of the implants.
...Most, from what I've seen so far, do not consider their child "normal hearing"..most do acknowledge that their child is deaf, still. It's their choice. It's your choice to not have your child(ren) implanted.
...I encountered many other deaf people who would immediately give me a "dirty" look once they find out I could hear and speak for myself. I don't let that bother me and if they don't like it it's their problem...not mine. I happen to have the best of both world and my world is the deaf community.
...Deaf children should make that choice because it is his/her body and it is his/her right. All Deaf children's cochlear implance option is here to stay. ASL is here to stay.
...That is probably the biggest myth that needs to be addressed. If the child has a progressive loss, there are other options for verbal language acquisition. However, if the child has a profound loss, the way the brain learns, if you wait until they are old enough to decide, the brain is already past the point where it can make sense of the sound. One way or the other, it is the parents who decide, even if they don't want to. By waiting, they are deciding not to have a successful implantation.
...The truth is that Many deaf people accept that a deaf person who can speak and hear well and this person has respect for ASL and the Deaf community.
...Jodi and Tale of CI: Did you realize your blogs really do advocate my belief of not supporting of CI?
*Nothing like a little brotherly love in the household*

3 comments:

Valerie said...

Jodi,
I check your blog daily, okay sometimes twice a day. It speaks to me!

I was shocked about all the myths in the posting by anonymous. That my experience with cochlear implants, I am just just making up. You know like the "the world is flat," "The moon landing" and of course "CI success is just a lie."

On the second comment, I was just upset and it should have been, you can't hide ignorance. No matter how much you try and hide grammar yourself, you can't hide the ignorance because true discrimation comes through.

The worst part is of all this is - parents, children, and adults looking for resources on hearing aids, cochlear implants and deaf/Deaf culture see this and what do they thing........?

Keep blogging, I will too. There are such fantastic bloggers out there, deaf, hearing, and a little in-between. Some are nutty, some oh so full of information, and some just downright silly. I found my little community that just "gets me and I get them." Jodi, I get you!

***smiles, Valerie

Karen Mayes said...

Yup... there will always be anonymous who'd hit and run, out of cowardice *shrug*

Your posting gets me smiling... yeah, full of rivalry. It reminds me of a movie about two Jewish boys who met at the baseball game...one from Hasidic branch and another from Reform/Conservative branch. During the time of the establishment of Israel, two Jewish sects were at odds with each other and then after the establishment of Israel, the Hasidic branch accepted it and made peace with the other sect.

So there will always be strong opinions surrounding the CI and it will remain until CI is as accepted as hearing aids.

Abbie said...

It kind of reminds me of the political world too.